Music and Dance
The Khoury Family Center for the Arts is expected to open this year in Gainesville and serve as the new home of the Dance Alive National Ballet. The 22,000-sq.-ft. facility will include a Dance and Music Academy, outreach programs, an art gallery and a Black Box Theatre. The center is anchored by a $1-million donation from the Khoury Family Foundation as well as other continuing donations, with a Capital Campaign fundraising goal of $7 million. “The Khoury Family Center for the Arts will play a vital role in continuing the Pofahl legacy of excellence and provide a place that our community can come together for the arts,” says Timothy Cannon, executive director of Dance Alive National Ballet.
JEA’s Old HQ
Downtown Jacksonville is keeping its cranes and shovels busy.
One new addition to the mix is the redevelopment of the former JEA headquarters campus. Now branded as The Jewel at 21 West, the historic Universal-Marion 19-story tower and adjacent customer service center will be a mixed-use development with 180 residential units, restaurants, retail and rooftop amenities. The customer service center will include food options and office space.
The project is expected to create 300 construction jobs and 100 permanent jobs, according to Live Oak Contracting. The development is a joint venture by Live Oak Estates Group and Lone Pine Development. Live Oak Contracting, Gensler and Olto Construction are involved in the redevelopment.
JEA moved to its new headquarters at 225 N. Pearl St. in downtown Jacksonville in 2023.
Heavy Metal
Vested Metals of St. Augustine is a metal supplier that works with the orthopedic medical device and aerospace/defense industries, with firms such as Boeing and Johnson & Johnson. It also has a sales and service center in Fort Wayne, Ind. The company started in 2014 and has 25 full-time workers.
Vested Metals is on track to move beyond its $20 million in annual revenue and reach the $30-million mark in the next five years, says CEO Viv Helwig, who was named Small Business Person of the Year by the Small Business Association North Florida District.
“We are now transitioning into longer-term supply agreements where we support large primes/OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and their subcontractors,” Helwig says.
Although manufacturing may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the Sunshine State, Helwig says that Florida has solid foundations in manufacturing in certain regions. Fully vertical supply chains can help push the potential further around the state, he says.
Regional Snapshot
Southeastern Grocers, the Jacksonville-based parent company of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets, plans to sell the majority of its stores outside of Florida and focus on its grocers within its home state and south Georgia. It has more than 30 locations outside of Florida in other Southern states. The company also recently acquired Hitchcock’s Markets in Alachua, Keystone Heights and Williston and plans to convert them to Winn-Dixie stores.
- SPORTS
President
Jacksonville Jaguars
OUTLOOK: “In February, the city of Jacksonville and the Jaguars will be approaching one year into the three-year Stadium of the Future construction project. With our stadium partners, we navigated the challenge of hosting Jaguars games and other events in EverBank Stadium during active construction, having had minimal impacts on the fan experience and team operations and keeping as many events as possible in Jacksonville during the construction period. We will continue to communicate adjustments that will be experienced by our fans and other users of the stadium through multiple channels while keeping excitement levels and expectations high for the reimagined stadium opening in 2028.”
HIRING: “Hiring across football and business operations will remain steady, with increased opportunities in ticketing ahead of new season packages and hospitality offerings. Ongoing stadium construction and development at the adjacent Shipyards, including the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences, will continue to drive job creation.”
- TOURISM
Susan Phillips
President/CEO,
St. Augustine Ponte Vedra & The Beaches VCB
OUTLOOK: “The outlook for Florida tourism remains strong. Travelers continue to be drawn to the state’s diversity, hospitality and authentic experiences. Florida’s Historic Coast is well positioned to capture travelers seeking meaningful connections and a genuine sense of place.”
CHALLENGES/BRIGHT SPOTS: “We’re optimistic about continued growth in cultural and experiential travel while remaining mindful of sustainability, workforce and affordability challenges. Although global and economic factors may influence travel decisions and domestic demand remains soft, we’re leaning into that market with refreshed messaging and new partnerships. The bright spots include expanded targeted market opportunities, collaborative industry support, and visitors who deeply value our destination’s authenticity and charm.”
TARIFF IMPACT: “We’ve seen some impact among Canadian and European travelers affected by tariffs and the political climate. Still, strong regional visitation and our focus on welcoming, high-value experiences continue to drive healthy demand.”
- HEALTH CARE
Gabe Bullaro
CEO
HCA Florida North Florida Hospital, Gainesville
NEW HOSPITAL: “We are excited to reach a major milestone in Spring 2026 with HCA Florida Gainesville Hospital — the first new hospital in the area in 50 years. This full-service, state-of-the-art hospital will expand much-needed access to care to communities west of I-75.”
HIRING: “We are actively hiring, especially as we prepare to fill nearly 200 clinical and operations roles at our new HCA Florida Gainesville Hospital. HCA Florida Healthcare’s strategic education partnerships, including local and state nursing programs and colleges, support clinical education programs to strengthen the health care talent pipeline in Gainesville and across the state. As one of the state’s largest providers of graduate medical education, we also welcome new doctors into residencies through partnerships including the University of Central Florida – HCA Florida Healthcare Graduate Medical Education Consortium. HCA Florida North Florida Hospital is currently training 166 new doctors through the consortium.”
- RAIL
Ryan Ratledge
CEO
Pinsly Railroad, Jacksonville
OUTLOOK: “We’re optimistic about the momentum we’re seeing in the Florida Panhandle on the Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad. We have worked closely with customers such as Anderson Columbia and United States Cold Storage to invest in infrastructure supporting their growth in the region. The start-up of our North Florida Industrial Railroad at the North Florida Mega Industrial Park in Lake City, and the completion of a recent ... grant-funded project on the Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad, are also positioning us for long-term success.”
TRENDS: “We see strong potential for the rail industry in Florida in the coming year. Demand for efficient freight solutions continues to grow, and short line railroads are uniquely positioned to meet that need. Our ongoing infrastructure upgrades and customer-focused initiatives are helping us unlock new opportunities across the Panhandle.”
HIRING: “We are in hiring mode, particularly as we expand operations and launch new projects. Our growth is driving the need for skilled talent, and we remain focused on building a strong team to support our long-term goals.”
Business Briefs
ALACHUA COUNTY
- Residents voted in November to place Gainesville Regional Utilities once again under the control of the Gainesville City Commission, but the Florida First District Court of Appeal has temporarily blocked any action. The utility has been under the control of the GRU Authority since 2023.
BRADFORD COUNTY
- Santa Fe College has received a $1.57-million Workforce CAP Grant from the Florida Department of Education to expand engineer technology training in both Bradford and Alachua counties. Santa Fe will use the funding to help support training for a Production Technician certificate while students work toward its Engineering Technology — Advanced Manufacturing associate in science degree.
CLAY COUNTY
- Plans are underway to reopen the Green Cove Dragway and a park for BMX, mud and RC tracks in Green Cove Springs.
GILCHRIST COUNTY
- Gilchrist County celebrated 100 years in 2025 with a county birthday event that sold 750 tickets.
HAMILTON COUNTY
- Watson Healthcare, which opened in Hamilton County in 2020, will open a new facility in Jasper that will include a primary care clinic and space for specialists.
LEVY COUNTY
- Levy County schools has received nearly $1 million to expand its local workforce programs in Allied Health Assisting and Applied Cybersecurity as part of $40 million in funding distributed throughout the state from the Florida Department of Education.
MARION COUNTY
- Amazon spent nearly $98 million to purchase a 1 million-sq.-ft. warehouse near its current fulfillment center in Ocala.
NASSAU COUNTY
- Rayonier of Wildlight and PotlatchDeltic of Spokane, Wash., will merge in an all-stock deal valued at an estimated $8.2 billion. The merger, set to be completed early this year, will form the second-largest publicly traded timber and wood products company in the U.S. Rayonier CEO Mark McHugh will lead the merged company, which will have a new name.
PUTNAM COUNTY
- CertainTeed has spent $240 million to expand its gypsum manufacturing facility in Palatka and include a new second production line. The expansion added 100,000 square feet and added 100 jobs.
ST. JOHNS COUNTY
- St. Augustine ranked fourth on the 2025 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards list of the top 10 small cities in the U.S.
SUWANEE COUNTY
- North Florida College has broken ground for its Innovation Community Access & Networking Center, which will include public computer and high-speed internet access, space for telehealth and virtual meetings, and classroom spaces. Most of the $4 million in funding is through the Florida Capital Projects Fund.